Valve mechanism for engines.



wlnessesz lnoenbor;

E. THOMSON.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED IBB.27, 1906. 1,080,783, Patented Dec.9,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' Elihu Th mson,

' o ttiy E. THOMSON.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.27, 1906.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Inventor; I lihu Thor gson 3 I f/ I Witnesses:

so line 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal puma sra'rufs PATENT omen ELIHU THOMSON, 0F SWAMISCOTT,. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '20 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR ENGINES;

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. a. 1913.

Application filed February 27, 1906. serial lilo. 303.174.

useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has forits objectto improve the construction and operation bustion or other engines, and particularly that part which controls the valve or valves whereby the period that the valve is kept open on a given stroke or under a given condition, can be varied from a minimum to a maximum to meet the conditions of load. This result is attained by means of a hydraulic device incorporated in said part of the valve mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a multi-cylinder engine with certain of the parts broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in section of the hydraulic means for operating an exhaust valve; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the governor adjusting means for controlling the action of the hydraulic lock or clutch, the said view being taken on section taken on line 66 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a section through the admission and exhaust valves. v

1 represents the cylinder of an internal combustion engine of which there may be one, two, three or more. The cylinder or cylinders are removably secured to a crank case and bed plate 2 containing a chamber for the crank shaft 3, bearings 4, connecting rods 5, cam shaft 6 and various other parts to be referred to later. On one 'end of the crank shaft is a fly-wheel, pulley or other driving means 7 and on the opposite end a pinion 8 meshing with agear 9 carried by the low speed or cam shaft 6.

Mounted upon the cam shaft is a centrifugal governor 10 which by its movement controls the period of opening and closing of the exhaust valve or valves of the engine. It may also control one or more admission valves, or both admission and. exhaust valves. Motion is communicated from the governor weights to an upright lver 11 through the sliding collar 12., The upper I end of the lever is forked to receive the rod ;13. This rod is provided with an arm 14 ,that moves the actuator 15 longitudinally. Mounted upon the actuator are cams 16, one for each cylinder. Each cam is pro vided with an inclined surface to engage with the lever of a by-pass valve as Wlll appear hereinafter. Each cylinder is rovidedwith an exhaust valve 17, Fig. 5, aving a stem 17 rojecting upward through a cap bolted to tl fe cylinder head. The valve is actuated by a horizontal lever 18, and the lever in turn is operated by a cam on the shaft 6 through the medium of a divided rod and a hydraulic lock or clutch 19. As shown in Fi 1, three of these-devices are provided. ounted on the cam shaft 6 and in line with each of the valve actuators is a cam 20 for moving it. Gas or other motive fluid is admitted to the engine by the conduit 21 and the exhaust therefrom is taken care of by the conduits 22; the exhaustvalve or valves 17 controlling its passage.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the construc-' tion of the valve operating mechanism will be described. 18 represents the lever that is connected to the valve stem 17*. This lever is actuated by a rod 25, which is provided with a guide 26. Situated below the guide and tending at all times to force the rod downward, is an outside compression spring 27. Mounted upon a suitable part of the engine frame 2 is a vertically extending tubular casing 28. Located inside of the casing and extending longitudinally thereof is a tube 29. The upper end of the tube is provided with a head 30, and the latter is arranged to receive the lower end of the rod 25 there being a sufiicient clearance when the parts are as shown to insure Seating of the valve 17. In some cases this se aration of the arts can be dispensed with. The upper cm? of the tube is also provided with a screw-threaded plug -31 having a small orifice therein communicating with 100 prevent it from leaking out at the top. on

the lower end of the tube is a piston 35 having one, two or more ball valves 36 that a e normally pressed upward by the springs or the underside. The valve or valves are so arranged that when the cylinder 37 containing the piston is lowered they will open and let the liquid pass from the upper to the underside of the piston. The cylinder 37 has a downwardly extending portion carrying the roller 38 and is connected'to the lever 39.

The roller 38 is adapted to move up and down with the cylinder as the cam rotates, the said cam lifting the cylinder, the compression spring 41 returning it. a The lower end of the tube 29 is open so that any I fluid which mayleak from the cylinder will not be pocketed below it and form a stop. If the relative movements of the piston and cylinder create a vacuum, fluid will tend to pass from the interior of the tube to the cylinder. It will be seen that the tube forms in effect a reservoir or accumulator. In the 7 side of the cylinder is formed a bypass 42 that is under the control of the by-pass valve 43. When this valve is open the cylinder 37 can rise and fall without imparting movement to the piston because the fluid will pass from one side to the other of the piston through the by-pass as the cylinder is moved by the cam 20 and spring 41. On the other of liquid held between the cylinder and the lower face of the piston, and between the cylinder and the upper face of the piston, 35

being an incompressible body, acts to transmit the full stroke of the cam to the valve. A partial opening of the by-pass valve will permit of a partial o ening of the exhaust valve to suit the conditions of service. The normal tendency of the by-pass valve is to assume a closed position. This is effected by means of the adjustable torsional spring 44, Fig. 4, which spring also tends to hold.

, the valve against its tapered seat. The end of the valve stem projects through a boss on the cylinder and isprovided with a suitable stuffing box 45.

Mounted on the end of the stem is a lever 46 that is adapted to engage theicam- 16 carried by the'longitudinally moving act-uator 15, Figs. 1 and 3. It will be seen that the two parts of the valve rod,-1. 6., the piston and cylinder, are hydraulically locked or clutched together under the control of the by-pass valve when it is desired toopen the exhaust valve and are released by the by-pass valve whe-nthe load conditions reuire the exhaust valve to remain closed.

' t will further be seen that by partially olpenin the by-pass valve the two parts of t e va ve rod are'permitted to slip more y or less with respect to each other.- The cylinder 37 is 'moved up and down once for each revolution of the cam shaft 6, and it follows that the by-pass valve and its'actuating lever 46 are similarly moved up and 1 down with respect to the cam 16.. This cam by reason of its support 15 and the shaft governor is adjust-able in a plane at right angles to the axis of the valve rod and the point where the cam will engage the lever =46 and open the valve on the down stroke will vary in accordance with the load. The point where the spring 44 on the upward stroke closes the valve also depends-upon the load upon the engine. In some cases, as, for example, where the load is light, the by-pass valve will be open through the major portion of the upward stroke of the cylinder 37 and the piston will be stationary. This means that the lever 46 is engaging the cam well toward its upper end. Under this condition the exhaust valve will be open for only a very brief interval of time for each revolution of the cam shaft 6. On the other hand, if the load is heavy the governor will shift the cam 16 to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3, the bypass valve will be closed the major portion of the stroke, and the exhaust valve will be fully opened and remain so for a longer portion of the stroke of the piston or pistons of the engine, and discharge all or a large portion of the burned products of combustion. The main piston will on its next stroke draw in a charge of combustible through the admission valve 47, Fig. 5, and then compress it prior to the firing stroke. I may use any suitable form of ignition device to fire the charge.

Where the engine is provided with more than one cylinder, corresponding exhaust valves are provided therefor and'the cams for operating them are so set with reference to each other that they will operate to produce successive working strokes of the pistons in the different cylinders. In this case the actuator 15 is common to all of the cams sponding to the action of the speed or load-' responsive device. .The valve or valves may be operated indirectly or directly by the valve rod as desired.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown'is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

relative movement and a body of normally quiescent fl-uid for transmitting motion from one to the other, a valve controlled passage for locking and unlocking the fluid between the members, 'a means'for moving one-01' the members, and a speed responsive device for adjusting the valve in said passage.

2. In an engine having a stationary and a movable element, a main shaft driven by the movable element, a valve controlling the passage of motive fluid, a lever for opcrating the valve and a normally fixed fulcrum for the lever which is mounted on the stationary element, the combination of a; divided actuator for the lever between the: parts of which motion'is imparted by a body .a means for rendering the; liquid ineffective when it is desired to leave: the valve in a given position and for ren-' desired to have a i cam and. the other moving the valve, a byof liquid, and

dering it efiective when it is the parts of the actuator move together.

3. In an engine having a'c linder, a piston,

a main shaft driven there y, and a maini valve controlling the passage of motive fluid; the combination of a;

for operating the main 1 valve through the medium of a body of liquid, a second valve for releasing the liquid on opposite sides of the piston when it. is desired to leave the main valve idle and for through the cylinder, piston and a cyl'nder confining said liquid when it is desired to actuate the main valve, a device which tends to close the second valve at all times, and

governor mechanism for controlling the ac-- t-ion of the device on the second valve.

4. In anengine having a cylinder, a piston, amain shaft driven thereby, a valve controlling the passage of motive fluid through the cylinder, a lever for operating the valve, and a fixed fulcrum for the lever which is mounted on the cylinder," the combination of-a divided actuator for actuating the lever, a cam for moving the parts of the actuator through a fluid medium, and a governor-controlled means regulating the ac- 'tion of thefluid medium for connecting and bination of a valve actuator including a pisdisconnecting the parts of the actuator.

5. In an engine having a movable and a stationary element, a main shaft driven bythe movable element, a valve controlling the passage of fluid, a lever for operating the valve, a normally fixed fulcrum for the lever which is mounted on the stationary element, and a. secondary shaft driven at a lower speed than the main shaft, the combination of a divided actuator for the lever comp rising parts that are connected through abody of liquid, a cam on the secondary shaftfor moving one part of the actuator, and means for connecting and disconnecting the parts of the actuator through the medium of the liquid.

6. In an "engine having a movable and a stationary element, a main shaft driven by the movable element, and a"valve controlling the passage of fluid, the combination of actuating means for the valve including parts which are normally movable independently of each other but which can be locked "by an interposed body ofliquid, a bypass valve for locking the parts by confining the liquid and for releasing them by opening a passage around one of the parts, means which tends at all times to close the bypass valve and lock the parts, and a device responsive to load changes which controls "the action of said means on the by-pass valve.

7 Inan engine having a piston, a cylinder, a main valve controlling the passage of motive fluid .through the cylinder, a low speed shaft, and a cam driven thereby, the combination of an actuator for the main valve including a piston and cylinder, one

of said parts being moved directly by the pass valve carried by the part moved by the cam toflcontrol the passage of a body of liquid from one side of the pist-on'to the other, a device which tends at all times to close the by-pass valve, and a governor for controlling the action of said device on the bypass valve and thereby regulating the movement of the main valve.

-8. In an engine having a piston, a cylinder, a valve for controlling the passage of motive fluid through the cylinder, a lever for-operating the valve, and a fixed fulcrum for the lever which is mounted on the cylinder, the combination of an actuator for the lever including a piston and a cylinder, the

latter containing a body of liquid through ton and a cylinder, the latter containing a body of liquid, a valve mounted in the actuator piston which opens on the suction strokeof the piston and cylinder to permit liquid to pass from one side of said pistonto the other, and a governor-controlled by-pass valve that locks and unlocks thQpiStorr and cylinder with respect to their relative movement.

10. In an engine having a movable and a stationary element, a main shaft driven by the movable element, and a valve regulating the passage of motive fluid, the combination of an actuator for the valve including a piston and cylinder, a tube for supportlng the piston that is open at one end to receive liquid, a by-pass arounpl the piston, and a governor-controlled valve in the by-pass.

11. In an engine having a main piston, a main cylinder, and a main valve mounted on the cylinder for controlling the passage of motive fluid, the combination of an actuator for the valve including a cylinder mounted for axial movement, a piston in the actuator cylinder, a piston rod which projects from the actuator cylinder and is connected to the valve, means for imparting a reciprocating movement to the actuator cylinder, a body of liquid in the actuator cylinder, a by-pass connecting the opposite ends of said cylinder, a rotary valve in the by-pass for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough' to lock or unlock the actuator piston and cylinder with respect to their relative movement, a spring which tends at all times to close the bypass valve, a cam which may act to open the by-pass valve in opposition to the spring, and a governor responsive to changes in the speed of the engine which moves the cam tovary its act-ion on the bypass valve and thereby regulate the .movement of the main valve. l

12. An engine having a cylinder, a piston, a crank shaft driven by the piston, a conduit, a valve controlling the flow of fluid between the conduit and the cylinder, a cam shaft. and a lever for operating the valve, in combination with a two part means for transmitting motion to the lever, one of said parts containing a body of liquid, a cam on the cam shaft for reciprocating one of said parts and governing mechanism for controlling the passage of fluid from one side of one of the parts to the other.

13. In an engine, having a cylinder, a piston, a shaft driven by the piston, a conduit,

"a valve for controlling the flow of fluid beshaft to the lever, saidymeans including a divided actuator, meansfor moving the parts of the actuator through a fluid medium, and governing mechanism for regulating the action of the'fluid medium to cause it to connect and disconnect the parts of the actuator.

14. In an engine, having a cylinder, a pis ton, a shaft driven by the piston, a condult,

cylinder and the conduit, the coi'nbinationof a divided valve rod, a spring that acts on the part of the rod that is connected to the valve and tends to close said valve, a connecting means for the parts of the rod including a piston and a cylinder, a body of liquid in the cylinder, a valve in the lastnamed piston that permits a flow from one side of said piston to the other but prevents flow in the opposite direction, a by pass around said piston from one end of the cylinder to the other, means for regulating the flow through the by-pass, and governing mechanism for controlling said means.

'16. In an engine, having a cylinder, a piston, a shaft driven by the piston, a' conduit, and a valve controlling the passage of fluid between the conduit and the cylinder, the combination of a divided .valve rod having its parts in axial alinement, means driven by the shaft for imparting motion to the outer end of one of said parts, the outer end of the other part being connected to the vvalve, a hydraulic device for connecting and dlsconnecting the adjacent ends of said parts, and governing mechanism for controlling the action of said device.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set Witnesses: I

JOHN A. MCMANUS, Jr.,

HENRY O. WESTENDARP.

it t

ELIHU THoMsoN; 

